OSHA has revised their hazard communication standard with
the addition of a program called the “Globally
Harmonized System” or G.H.S. This system is to help improve the communication of chemical
hazards to the employees or workers that use them in a concise clear
format. Some reasons for the G.H.S. program are because chemicals are
produced and shipped throughout the world and the chemical labels and Safety
Data Sheets all come in different formats. Under the new system, all
labels and Safety Data Sheets must all be produced in English, be in the same
consistent format and all contain the same elements on the labels and Safety
Data Sheets. The labels and S.D.S. sheets are to make it easier for
people who are illiterate (can’t read) or for people of different languages to
understand them. They are also adding Pictograms to all labels and Safety
Data Sheets. Pictograms are simply symbols that represent either a
physical hazard, a health hazard or environmental hazard. It is mandatory that employers provide training on this new
program by December 1st, 2013. This is where we need your
help.
There are 3 main components to the G.H.S. program:
1.
Hazard Classification2. Container Labels
3. Safety Data Sheets (formerly called Material Safety Data Sheets)
We have inserted 4 new toolbox talks pertaining to the
G.H.S. training into your new Safety Coordinator manuals of which you should
have recently received over the past 2 weeks. We need your help in getting this training done. We are advising all Safety Coordinators to perform the same
toolbox talk this coming Monday, 11/11/13 during your morning toolbox talk
session.
All Safety Coordinators – on Monday,
11/11/13, please perform the toolbox talk under the Hazcom Tab which is listed
as HH2. This is a 2-page toolbox talk to help kick off the
training as it provides an overview of the G.H.S. program. On your toolbox talk
signature roster, where it says: Topic Name and Number, please write the
following: Revised Hazcom Standard 2013 G.H.S. – HH2.
After you read the toolbox talk to your crew, as always,
please have them sign the roster and turn it in as usual. We will be sending out e-mails to all Safety Coordinators over the next 4 weeks providing instructions as to what toolbox talk to perform on the given Monday to help us get this training completed.
We thank you in advance for helping to get this necessary
and mandatory training performed over the next few Mondays.
We will send out another e-mail this Friday, 11/15/13 with information about what toolbox talk everyone should perform on Monday, 11/18/13.
If you have any questions at all, you are encouraged to call our Safety Director, Peter Graham at (847) 417-1689.
